Fastener holding pliers



' July 15, 1958 R. E. WENTLING FASTENER HOLDING PLIERS Filed Aug. 28,1956 K0466 f. 14 4911] fin? 2,842,997 FASTENER HOLDING PLIERS Ralph E.Wentiing, Austin, Tex. Application August 28, 1956, Serial No. 606,654 1Claim. (Ci. 81418) This invention relates to new and useful improvementsand structural refinements in pliers or plier-type tools, and theprincipal object of the invention is to adapt such tools for efi'icientholding and manipulation of nails, screws or other similar fasteningelements.

More specifically, the invention contemplates the provision of certainrecesses and grooves in the opposing faces of coacting plier jaws, suchrecesses and grooves forming, when the jaws are brought together, atransverse chamber and a longitudinal passageway in communication withthe chamber to receive, respectively, the head and an adjacent shankportion of a fastening element. As such, the fastening element may befirmly held in the jaws with its longitudinal axis coplanar with theopening and closing movement of the jaws and with its usual pointed endexposed. Thus, the pliers may be conveniently manipulated, for example,to press the point of a nail into a piece of work in poorly accessiblelocations where sufficient space does not exist to permit initialtapping of the nail with a hammer. Similarly, the pliers may be used forpressing the point of a screw into a piece of work and turning the sameto start the required grip by its screw-thread, where space does notpermit such a procedure being effected by a screwdriver.

In addition, the invention is also useful in removing nails or screwsfrom work in poorly accessible locations, and for holding andmanipulating the same wherever space does not permit them to be held andmanipulated by the users fingers.

An important feature of the invention resides in arranging theaforementioned recesses and grooves in the jaws in such manner that theydo not interfere with conventional usage of the pliers.

Some of the advantages of the invention lie in its simplicity ofconstruction and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view and suchother objects and features as may become apparent as this specificationproceeds, the invention resides in the arrangement of parts and detailsof construction substantially as shown in the accompanying drawing,wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like partsand wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a pair of pliers embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary detail, taken substantially in the plane ofthe line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, takensubstantially in the plane of the line 3-3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the jaws;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view, similar to that shown in Figure 1but illustrating the jaws in a closed position;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view, similar to that shown in Figure 3but showing a modified form of the invention; and

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken substantially in theplane of the line 7-7 in Figure 6.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing in detail, particularlyFigures 1-5 thereof, the pliers are designated generally by thereference numeral 10 and comprise the usual handles 11 pivoted togetherat 12 and equipped with coacting jaws 13. As is customary, the jaws 13are nite States Patent 0 provided with the usual serrations 14 forgripping purposes, while the opposing jaw faces are indicated at 15. Theinvention involves the provision of a transversely extending, open-endedrecess 16 in each of the jaw faces 15 at a point between the outer endof the jaw and the serrations14. Moreover, the face 15 of each jaw isprovided with a longitudinally extending groove 17 which extends fromthe outer end of the jaw at least to the recess 16 so that itcommunicates with the latter. The groove 17 is disposed centrally in thejaw face and, if desired, may be extended beyond the recess 16 to theserrations 14, as indicated at 17a. As shown in Figures 1-5, therecesses 16 and the grooves 17, 17a are of a rectangular cross-section.

As is best illustrated in Figure 5, when the jaws 13 are broughttogether, the recesses 16 and the grooves 17, 17a coact to form,respectively, a transverse chamber and a longitudinal passageway incommunication with the chamber to receive, respectively, the head 18 andan adjacent shank portion 19 of a fastening element 20 such as a nail orscrew. With the element 20 being so held in the jaws of the pliers, theaxis of the element is coplanar with the opening and closing movement ofthe jaws, while the usual pointed end 21 of the element is exposed. Thepliers may then be easily manipulated to press the pointed end of theelement into a piece of work and to turn the same, if so desired, suchas for example, in starting a screw.

In the event that the nail or screw is of substantial length, the shankportion thereof adjacent its head may be received in the coactinggrooves 17a as well as in the grooves 17, while the head of the elementis gripped by the serrations 14. In this manner the serrations functionin receiving and gripping the head of the element in substitution forthe recesses 16.

The accompanying Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a slightly modified form ofthe invention wherein the grooves 22, 22a are semi-circular rather thanrectangular in crosssection, so as to better fit the usual cylindricalshank of the element 20. Moreover, the recess 23 is of a substantiallysemi-spherical configuration, complemental to the usual shape of a screwhead.

While in the foregoing there have been disclosed the preferredembodiments of the invention, various modifications may become apparentto those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly,it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure and variousmodifications may be resorted to, such as may fall within the spirit andscope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is:

As an article of manufacture, a pair of conventional pliers having apair of coacting jaws and opposing jaw faces provided with serratedconcavities at a point spaced longitudinally inwardly from the outerends of the jaws, said jaws also being provided in the opposing facesthereof with transversely extending recesses disposed at a point betweenthe outer ends of the jaws and said serrated concavities, said jaws alsobeing provided in their opposing faces with open-ended grooves extendingcentrally longitudinally from the outer ends of the jaws through saidrecesses to said serrated concavities, said recesses being deeper thansaid grooves and coacting therewith when said jaws are brought togetherto provide a transverse chamber and a longitudinal passageway extendingfrom said serrated concavities through said chamber to the outer ends ofthe jaws, whereby to receive respectively the head and adjacent shankportions of a fastening element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,069,106 Brice Aug. 5, 1913 1,310,510 Speirs July 22, 1919 1,661,365Gendron Mar. 6, 1928

